Lesson 857

(Lesson 857)(12-31-13) Matthew 27:27-66;
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."

Today's lesson relates to us all the horrible things that were done to Jesus on the day of His crucifixion.

There is not much that can be added to what Matthew wrote here except to remind everyone who reads this text that in order for us to gain remittance for the sin that is borne in us, and to have access, through faith, to eternal life in heaven with God our Father, these terrible events were all necessary.

Again, I don't believe we should view these events so much through an emotional lens, (although there is certainly nothing wrong with feeling emotional about the human suffering that Christ tolerated), as we should view the events with a sense of blinding awe in that that our omniscient, all powerful God of all the universes allowed Himself, in the form a human man, to be debased, tortured and humiliated so that we sinful mortals could have everlasting life by merely trusting in the divine operation He laid out for us.
The events that took place on the day of Jesus died were all done for our sake. There can never be enough praise and gratitude for our loving and forgiving God.~

Lesson 856

(Lesson 856)(12-30-12) Matthew 27:11-26;

"And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."

In this lesson, Jesus stands before Pilate and is condemned to the cross. He is rejected by His own people and His freedom is traded for that of a criminal called Barabbas.

As we now look back to the horrible events that led up to the crucifixion of our Savior, we sometimes get caught up in the emotional part of it all and overlook the underlying lessons of that sad day.

Jesus was born a Jew, and until He had completed His divinely prophesied death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, he was bound to obey the Law of Moses just as any other devout Jew would have been. Those who condemned Him to the cross were His own people, the Jews, and along with being extremely jealous of His popularity and appeal, they actually thought that Jesus was a blasphemous traitor to the Law. Although Jesus tried to teach them that a NEW law of FAITH was coming, they rejected Him and nailed Him to the cross, not realizing that by doing that horrible deed they were allowing eternal salvation to be offered to anyone willing to accept it.

Although the personal suffering of Jesus dying a miserable death on that cross can be emotionally overwhelming, we must remember that realistically a far more overwhelming event took place that day. God came to earth in the form of a human man, His only begotten earthly Son and walked among a chosen few then allowed himself to be tortured, grossly humiliated and eventually killed so that we, through simply believing in Him and those events, may have life eternal.

Therefore when we think back to the crucifixion, it is perfectly fine to ponder the suffering of Jesus the man, but our thoughts would better serve us to reflect on the awesomeness of God the undisputed Master of all things known, in the form of His earthly Son, having subjected Himself to all that for our sake.~

Lesson 855

(Lesson 855)(12-29-13) Matthew 27:1-10;

"When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."

　

This text tells us that after he "repented himself" (Changed his mind after realizing the error in what he had done.) Judas took the blood money back to the high priest and threw it on the temple floor then went straightway and hanged himself.

Knowing what the children of God are taught about His grace, and knowing how it is freely offered to those who will accept it, we can assume that even Judas is forgiven and lying safe in the Arms of Abraham in Heaven.

Today's lesson tells us again that it was necessary for Judas to betray Jesus in order to fulfill yet another prophesy, "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."

I don't believe the "sin" Judas committed is any worse than the "sin" Peter committed when three times he denied ever knowing Jesus. Both actions were taken to demonstrate the horrible weakness in the faith of mankind and to fulfill prophesies that would help to prove that Jesus was indeed the only begotten Son of God.

Those who believe that one must live a perfect life in order to be saved should take this lesson to heart. Even the faith of those closest to Jesus as He walked here on earth wavered from time to time. As we see in this lesson, when our faith is challenged it sometimes grows weak we do horrible and egregious things. However, God the Father through Jesus Christ is always faithful to forgive and pull us back into the safety of the fold. Praise God for that, were it not true, I would have died the spiritual death a million times already.~

Lesson 854

(Lesson 854)(12-28-13) Matthew 26:69-75;

"Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."

Just as Jesus said, Peter denied knowing Him three times before the morning had fully come.

Peter was a man who had walked hand in hand with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry, Peter was the very man Jesus chose to be the first member of His Church, yet he so easily denied even knowing Jesus when he thought his mortal life might be threatened.

If denial of Jesus came so easily for Peter, imagine how quickly some of today's Christians would run out on their "faith" if they truly thought their lives depended on it.

I would hope that if my faith was tested, as Peter's was, I would stand up and proudly profess that Jesus is my Lord to the death.

This thought is something we should dwell on every day. Jesus, the human man, withstood an unimaginable amount of torment and eventually gave up His own life so that we could have everlasting life. The very least we can ever do is to courageously stand up for Him in the face of the garbage Satan throws at us today. We should take up His message and deliver it to all whom are willing to listen, every day of our lives.

Just as Peter was challenged about Jesus on the eve of His death, I believe, we, the members of His Church, those of us whom are supposed to represent His message today, are now confronted with His soon and imminent return. So lets out do Peter, lets stand up and proudly testify that we know who Jesus is and prepare everyone who will listen for His glorious and triumphant return.~

Lesson 853

(Lesson 853)(12-27-13) Matthew 26:55-68;

"In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?"

The first part of this lesson refers again to the divinity of the events that took place leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. Demonstrating, as Jesus said, that there was really no need for Judas to betray Him to the high priest, and that the events were only done to fulfill the prophesies, Jesus said, "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."

Though I would NEVER question bible intent, it remains a mystery to me why Judas was, by biblical history, painted as the horrible betrayer of Jesus when in fact he was only doing what he was predestined to do. As I have said before, we will learn this mystery when Jesus comes again to claim His own.

The second part of this lesson explains how, as the event unfolded, Jesus' Apostles abandoned Him and ran away.

In the face of His many false accusers, Jesus never spoke a work in His own defense except when the high priest asked, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus spoke of His ultimate return and said, "Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

As horrible as the events of that day were, to those of us who have, and who yet will, accept His saving grace, that day is one of the most honored days in history.~

Lesson 852

(Lesson 852)(12-26-13) Matthew 26:47-54;

"Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place:Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

In today's lesson, Judas completes his horrible mission of betrayal and reveals Jesus to the high priest. Peter, using his sword, cut off the ear of one of the men who came for Jesus. After Jesus commanded Peter to put away his sword, He said, "for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Jesus had no intention of starting a war with the Jewish hiarchy, if He had, the high priest would have, in the minds of the people, had a reason to kill Him. Jesus would not, and could not give them that satisfaction.
Peter, nor any of the other Apostles yet understood that all of these horrible events were predestined by God and must occur according to the prophesies.

We know that, just as He said, Jesus could have called down ten thousand angels if He truly wanted to be rescued. But, thank God, He stood up to His terrible ordeal so that we may have eternal life.

Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)

Jesus already knew every detail of what was going to happen to Him, He also knew He would triumphantly rise again the third day.

We should humble ourselves every day and praise God, giving thanks for His divine plan to send Jesus to redeem all who will accept His loving grace through faith in Him.~

Lesson 851

(Lesson 851)(12-25-13) Luke 2:4-11;

" And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

The importance of Today's lesson can never be stressed enough. We should shout the good news of the coming of Christ from the rooftops and throughout all time.
Let's all always remember the blessedness of this very special day.~

Lesson 850

(Lesson 850)(13-24-13) Matthew 26:36-46;

"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me."

Today's lesson teaches us two things. There were only three times that Jesus, so far as I'm able to remember, exposed His Human frailty. The first two of those three times are demonstrated in this lesson. The first is when He prayed God, that if it be possible, to find another way to remit the world's sin. The second was when He prayed that same prayer three times, obviously understanding that there was no need to pray more than once.

As born again, redeemed Christians, we should be forever grateful and shout the good news from the rooftops that the human man in Jesus withstood the temptations that came upon Him and followed through with His divine appointment giving those of us who believe in Him eternal life.

The second lesson in today's quote is about how frail our devotion is compared to the devotion of Jesus. While Jesus walked a few steps away, to be alone to pray, and left His "devoted" Apostles with instructions to stand watch for Him, their own human weakness took over and they fell asleep three times.

Similarly, Jesus has told those of us alive today and have accepted His saving grace that we are to stay awake being always alert, watchful and prepared for His return. Sadly, just as the Apostles there with Jesus the night before He died fell asleep at the watch, many "Christians" today are asleep on the job.~

Lesson 849

(Lesson 849)(12-23-13) Matthew 26:31-35;

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples."

Todays lesson exposes the blatant hypocrisy of most of the human race. Even Peter, the man whom Jesus selected as the first member of His Church, after making bold promises about his undying devotion, would turn his back on Jesus three times on the night before He was crucified.

I wonder, if Jesus were to test the members of His Church today, as Peter and the other Apostles were tested, how many of us would stay faithful to Him.

I would wager that not one in ten would still be standing behind Jesus if our lives were threatened because of Him.

Just like Peter's boisterous bluster, today's Christianity puts forth a beautiful and pompous outward appearance, but when it comes to actually doing the work, it demonstrates very little scriptural substance.

Jesus set down the rules by which Christian people are to conduct themselves in His name, they are as follows;

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:"(Matt. 7:14-28)~

Lesson 848

(Lesson 848)(12-22-13) Matthew 26:26-30'

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."

This lesson makes two very important points that profoundly affect millions all of Christianity.

First, it is very important to note that the meal Jesus and His Apostles were eating was in celebration of the "Passover".

This followingis what God commanded Moses and Aaron concerning the passover;

"And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Second, this lesson establishes that it is the blood of Jesus Christ that is the sign of the NEW covenant that is given to those of us who place our faith in it unto eternal salvation.

This lesson declares the profound importance of the blood of Christ Jesus. His blood would be to those us whom have placed our faith in Him, the equivalent of the sacrificial lambs blood that the Hebrew people were required to place on their doors on the eve of the Passover.

Just as that sacrificial lambs blood on the doors assured those captive Jews protection against the Death Angel, Today, our absolute faith in the blood of Jesus Christ guarantees that, in the final judgment, God's wrath will pass over us. The blood of Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing that guarantees eternal life to all who will accept it.

Sadly, there are countless millions who contend that water baptism remits sin. That contention is glaringly disproven by what Jesus so clearly stated in today's quote, "For this is MY BLOOD of the NEW testament,which IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. "Water baptism is NOT what Jesus told us to place our faith in to protect us from eternal judgment. That faith must be placed, entirely, in the soul saving blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 847

(Lesson847)(12-21-13) Matthew 26:14-25;

"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said."

Of all the lessons in the New Testament, this one perplexes me the most. Although the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior was the most profoundly divine act the world has ever witnessed, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ had been prophesied throughout the Old Testament, all the way back in the book of Genesis. When Judas Iscariot did what was required of him by the divine will of God throughout those prophesies, handing Jesus over to Caiaphas to begin that divine process, he was condemned by Jesus Himself at the "last supper" and thereby condemned by the whole world to eternity. " The Son of man goeth AS IT IS WRITTEN OF HIM: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."

Jesus said, "it had been good for that man if he had not been born." yet He knew what Judas was going to do from the beginning of time, and He knew Judas' betrayal was a necessary part of the divine process.

The judgment of God is absolute and cannot be challenged on ANY level EVER. And, it is certainly not my intention to question that judgment. However, the reasoning behind the condemnation of Judas, for obediently doing that awful deed, is something I am yet not able to understand.

This mystery, like so many more, will be revealed when those of us whom have accepted God's saving grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, have reached our promised destination in heaven.~

Lesson 846

(Lesson 846)(12-20-13) Matthew 26:1-13;

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."

The beginning of today's lesson sets Jesus on the path to His eventual, death, burial, and resurrection.

In the latter portion of the lesson, while Jesus was in a meeting with His Apostles, a woman who is believed to have been Mary Magdalene, anointed Him with a very expensive oil from an alabaster box. What that woman had done was so important to Jesus that he commanded that it be mentioned wherever His gospel was preached throughout the world, as a memorial to her.

I mention that to demonstrate just one example of what I see as the negligence of today's "preachers".

That woman obviously recognized the importance of who Jesus actually was, not just a mortal man, but the living breathing Son of God, the third part of the Holy Triune, the savior of the universe! She also realized what He was about to go through. Jesus saw this in her, and rewarded her for it by demanding that this story be forever told in her honor.

Of the countless hundreds of times I have heard the bible preached, and in all the different places I've heard it preached, no more than five times have I ever heard the story of that anointment told.

There are two things we should take from this lesson: First, we should always, as that woman did, recognize the awesomeness of our blessed savior, in every thing we do. We should prepare for His second coming in the same way that woman prepared for His death. We should devote everything we have, no matter what the material cost, to that preparation. Secondly, we should be careful to ALWAYS obey those two great commandments He gave us, just as that woman did, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."(Mark 12:30-31)

Wherever we teach, we should ALWAYS relate the story of "The alabaster box".~

Lesson 845

(Lesson 845)(12-19-13) Matthew 25:31-46;

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

The substance of today's lesson is a glaring expose' of what is wrong with our modern "Christian" society .

This text is Jesus' analogy of what the final judgment will look like. According to Him, the "dids" will immediately be separated from the "did nots". The "dids" are those who, during their lives, actually got up and made an effort to spread the grace of God by teaching the soul saving gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone who would stand still long enough to listen. AND, the "dids" will also be those who have obeyed and lived their lives in a manner that reflects the two "great" commandments Jesus placed upon us, which are in essence, to love God with all of our being, and to treat our fellow man/woman as we would have them treat us. Jesus said that if we reach out with charitable hearts and lift up those who are weak, we have, in essence, reached out to and helped Him,"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Likewise, if we fail our duties to the gospel and fail to love and care for the weakest among us, "Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."

The "did nots" will be those who fail to follow in the footsteps of Christ and who fail to reach out to the weak. Jesus also tells us what the reward will be for both the "dids" and the "did nots", "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

We should all take this lesson to heart and because of our having been made "righteous" through faith in Jesus Christ, realize that being a child of God demands much more than making a bi-weekly trek to the "church house". In order to make sure that we are not judged to be "did nots", we are to demonstrate the righteousness that has been imputed into us through Christ Jesus.

We, as true Christian people, must actually, and freely, give of our time, talent, and wealth, to help those who are either, in need of God's saving grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ, or those who simply need a helping hand in their daily struggle through life.

Today's lesson clearly establishes that the true spirit of Christmas is not something that should be undertaken only one day out of a year, or even just two days a week. The spirit of giving that Christ demands of His own is constantly ongoing.~

Lesson 844

(Lesson 844)(12-18-13) Matthew 25:14-30;

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Today's lesson is another warning to those of us who claim the mantle of Christianity then do nothing to teach and promote the awesome grace of God.

Jesus, by using the parable, warns of the consequences for those who accept His grace, sit on it and do nothing. He clearly expects us to step out and do the work he has assigned for us to do. He warns that those who "bury" His gospel, and do nothing toward spreading His awesome saving grace, will have all that they own taken away and given to those who have made the greatest effort.

We should break away from the "lukewarm" cycle of sitting two or three times weekly in the same pew among the same people doing the exact same things over and over and doing nothing to actually expand the harvest of lost souls.

If we don't, our judgment will be severe and swift when Jesus returns to reclaim what He has entrusted us with.

As Jesus Himself said, "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."~

Lesson 843

(Lesson 843)(12-17-13) Matthew 25:1-13;

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

In today's lesson, by relating the "parable of the virgins", Jesus warned us to always be prepared for His return.

In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus gave a warning to the Church at Laodicea that I believe fits well with todays Christian preparedness condition. Jesus sent a message to the Laodiceans, that said, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

That warning could very aptly be applied to today's Christian condition.~

Lesson 842

(Lesson 842)(12-16-13) Matthew 24:1-51;

"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Today's lesson includes the entire 24th chapter of Matthew. I posted it all because it is the complete list of things that must occur before Jesus makes His glorious return.

Jesus tells us, in this text, that there will be no man/woman that is able to know when His return will be, therefore, I certainly will not pretend that I know.

Jesus did, however, tell us how we might be able to know when His coming is near by using the parable of the fig tree, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."

My recommendation is that each of us educate ourselves with the as to what Jesus said in thes text and keep our eyes and ears open being ever watchful for these signs to have been fulfilled.

I believe that many of them have already taken place, and that the coming of the Lord is definitely close.

We should prepare each day as if it is our last, and go therefore, and educate everyone, teaching them about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost and warning them to observe all the things that Jesus told us, and that He will be with us always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ~

Lesson 841

(Lesson 841)(12-15-13) Matthew 23:13-39;

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

In today's text, Jesus exposed the Jewish leadership for what it truly had become. The Jewish priesthood had become a disgrace to God through their hypocrisy and selfish greed. They had turned His holy temple and commandment into a means by which they could achieve and maintain positions of wealth and authority. They had long since abandoned any sense of Godliness and personal responsibility toward God, and had begun to take profit from the faith of their fellow Jews.
The condemnation that Jesus poured out on the "scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites" equally applies to those today who prey upon those scripturally uneducated souls who humbly seek God's eternal truth.

Lesson 840

(Lesson 840)(12-14-13) Matthew 23:1-12;

"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

This lesson demonstrates the hypocrisy of the Jewish hierarchy leading up to, and during, the days of Christ.

By defining what we shouldn't be, Jesus made it very clear what we are to be.

Sadly, just as in Jesus' day, there are hypocrites everywhere. We should, as Christians, separate ourselves from them, and remain humble in God's grace.

We don't have the right to judge the sins of others so long as we ourselves, are laden with sin (which is as long as we live on earth). Therefore we should spend ALL our time teaching the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ, and ignoring the sins of others, leaving the judging to the only qualified judge, God our Father!~

Lesson 839

(Lesson 839)(12-13-13) Matthew 22:41-46;

"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."

Today's lesson explains what is to some a mystery. Prophesies in the old testament tell us that the Messiah, Jesus our blessed redeemer, would belong to, and come from, the house (lineage) of king David.

In the beginning of the New Testament, Matthew chapter one, that earthly lineage is established. That first chapter of Matthew traces the blood line from Abraham all the way down to Jesus, through Joseph, His foster father. Therein lies the mystery. How could Jesus be of the "house of David" if He had no blood ties to Joseph and God is His actual Father?

The answer appears complex at first glance, but can be explained. Because of Mary's immaculate conception, Joseph was, by all earthly standards, the father of Jesus. Joseph was recognized as such by all who knew them, "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, THE SON OF JOSEPH". (John 1:45)

To those of us who understand the virgin birth, God is the true Father of Jesus and the only one that matters.

In today's lesson, Jesus explained that He was who David, in spirit, referred to as "my Lord", "He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him saying, The LORD" (God) "said unto my Lord" (Jesus)", Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, HOW IS HE HIS SON?" This was David referring to God speaking to Jesus.

Jesus was neither the son of David, nor was He the son of Joseph. Jesus was Himself, God in the flesh.

Jesus was referred to as the Son of David because His foster father Joseph was from that bloodline. He was referred to as the Son of God because He was conceived by the Spirit of God and had no legitimate earthly father.

I hope I have made this plain enough to understand. If I have totally confused you, please ask direct questions and I will try to explain further.

There are NO defining contradictions in God's word. If we take the time to make a complete study, everything that appears contradictory can be easily reconciled.~

Lesson 838

(Lesson 838)(12-12-13) Matthew 22:34-40;

"But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Today's lesson contains a definition of "sin" that I believe is overlooked, or simply ignored, by the majority of modern gospel preachers, and teachers.

There is no more honorable and worthwhile calling than that of preaching or teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, far too many who undertake this calling spend the vast majority of their pulpit time condemning the "sins" of the world and referring to scripture that pertains only to the Jewish race.

There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING we, as Christians, can, or are even scripturally authorized to do, that can in any way affect "sin", one way or the other.
Sin is present everywhere, it always has been and will always be until Jesus returns to destroy it. Not nearly enough time is spent simply spreading the glorious good news that through faith in Jesus Christ, the lost can attain eternal life.

When modern "ministers of the gospel" stop wasting valuable pulpit time on scripturally illegitimate rants about how evil the world has gotten, the purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ will be much more affectively served.

In today's lesson, Jesus, when asked, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?", responded, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.".

Take note that the question that was asked restricted Jesus' answer to the "Great commandment IN THE LAW". His answer was that the first of the Ten Commandments was the "great" commandment. With that, we should also remember that Jesus, upon His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, FULFILLED the "law" for the redeemed, and released all the Jews, who would accept His saving grace, from it.

Jesus went further to say, "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Although the Ten Commandments had no great nor second great commandment, Jesus, by identifying these two "great" commandments, provided that if we love God with all of our being and love those around us as we love ourselves, we will have obeyed, what is today, the entire commandment of God.

What we should condemn as "sins" today, are only those things that are done that ultimately offend, hurt, or cause harm to someone else. We are neither qualified, nor scripturally authorized, to condemn the actions (sins) of others, EVER. If we would simply treat everyone around us as we would have them treat us, we would all be sinless by the standard Jesus defined.~

Lesson 837

(Lesson 837)(12-11-13) Today's lesson is from Matthew 22:23-33;

"The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine."

This a very short lesson and applies only to a very few people today. We should note that Jesus was answering a question that was posed to Him by a group of men who did not believe in the resurrection. Therefore Jesus provided a, more or less, flippant answer in which He said that in heaven we will be transformed into a whole new existence wherein the rules of this earthly life does not apply.

Upon our resurrection we will become "as the angels of God" and will no longer be bound by carnal rules and designations.

By saying, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." it appears that Jesus' intention was more to rid Himself of the badgering Sadducees than it was the explaining of heavenly marital rules.~

Lesson 836

(Lesson 836)(12-10-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 22:15-22;

"Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way."

Today's is a simple lesson but one that many "Christians", out of apparent greed for worldly wealth, sometimes choose to ignore.

A "tribute" is simply what we call today, a tax. Jesus said, "render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's". That means that our "tribute" or taxes, already belong to the government (Caesar) because the government (Caesar) created it.

When Jesus referred to the image on the coin, He made the specific point that money is not something that is part of the wealth of God. He, in essence, said money belongs to those who created it, and that it should mean nothing to those of us who place our faith in Him.

Even though there are several New Testament scriptures advising against "saving" large amounts of money and/or material goods, so-called Christian people still defend their unfounded need to do it.

Peter tells us how we, as Christian people, are to perform our duties, "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:1-3)~

Lesson 835

(Lesson 835)(12-09-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 22:1-14;

"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen."

Yesterday's lesson told us how the coming of Christ took away the "chosen people" status from the Jewish nation and offered redemption to the whole world. Today's lesson is a continuance of that lesson.
Using the parable of the wedding, Jesus demonstrated that a means to eternal salvation would be taken from, exclusively, the Jewish race and opened to everyone, both Jew and Gentile, good and bad. He also said that, in the end, His judgment would separate those who are wearing the "wedding garment" (His righteousness) from those who have rejected it, "For many are called, but few are chosen." In order to qualify for eternal salvation, we must, through faith, put on the "wedding garment" which in reality, is the righteousness of Christ which is freely offered to us through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

There are no hoops to jump through, no physical work to be done, no extra steps to be taken, all a lost soul must do is believe that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God and that lost soul will be saved, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:14-16)

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED, and thy house."

(Acts 16:30-31) "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Romans 4:4-8) "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized" (submerged) "into Christ have put on Christ." (And His righteousness)(Galatians 3:26-27)~

Lesson 834

(Lesson 834)(12-08-13) Today's lesson is taken from Matthew 21:28-46;

"But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet."

Jesus presented the two quoted parables to show the high priests how, because of their disobedience, the "kingdom" would be taken away from the Jewish nation and given to the Gentiles. The parables also explained how God had sent many prophets, including John the Baptist, trying to get the Jewish hierarchy to repent their disobedience and to turn back to God. The Jews, however,continually rejected their pleas and even had John and the other prophets abused, imprisoned, and killed.

Jesus knew that the Jews would also eventually kill Him.

A few days ago, we touched on the importance of the coming of Jesus Christ as it related to the "God's chosen" status of the Jewish people. Seeing that there are literally millions of "Christian" people who today believe the scripturally misguided contention that the Jewish bloodline is what determines "God's chosen" status, we should do all we can to educate them that ONLY we, the redeemed, those of us whom have been saved by the grace of God through faith in the soul saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ, are now the "chosen people" of God. That "chosen" status, of course, also applies to any Jews whom have placed the faith in Jesus.

Verse 44 of today's quote makes it as plain as it can be spoken, "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

As these lessons progress, we will determine more evidence that the Jewish nation holds no particular scriptural significance to modern Christians who are not themselves Jews.~

Lesson 833

(Lesson 833)(12-07-13) Today's lesson is from Matthew 21:23-27;

"And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

When Jesus was confronted by the high priests and asked by what authority He spoke, Jesus made a reference to "he baptism of John". He, in essence, asked the priests if John's message was from God, or if John had simply made it up. After reasoning how they should answer, the priests said they didn't know. Since they were unable to answer, Jesus refused to tell them by who's authority He taught.

I believe the most important lesson that should be taken from this text is Jesus' reference to "the baptism of John".

The vast majority of today's "Christian" population, when asked what is meant by the term "baptism", will respond with and answer that somehow concerns water, either by total immersion, or by some form of sprinkling.

The erroneous notion that "baptism" always requires the use of water has poisoned the minds of millions of would be Christians into believing that one must be "baptized" in water to be eternally saved. A complete and in-context study of all the appearances of the term within the New Testament, proves that notion to be untrue.

Just as Jesus used the term "baptism" in today's quote to refer to the message John the Baptist brought, there are many applications of some form of the term "baptism", throughout the New Testament, whereas those terms refer to something other than water as the medium into which, or whereby, a person is to be baptized.

A classic example of this is when Jesus described His own death, burial, and resurrection, as a "baptism", "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Luke 12:50)
When the entire testimony of Jesus is carefully studied, within the proper context, we find that Jesus was said to have actually used a form of the term "baptize" a total of ten times. (This total does not include the repetitions that appear in the different accounts given by Matt., Mark, Luke, and John) NOT ONCE out of those ten times did Jesus use that term to define a water baptism.

There will be much more said concerning water baptism and its place in Christianity as these lessons continue.~

Lesson 832

(Lesson 832)(12-06-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 21:14-22;

"And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

The first portion of this lesson demonstrates how Jesus continued to perform miracles inside the temple as He healed the lame and blind. It also tells us how the Jewish high priests hated the praise that was heaped on Jesus by the children.

The intent of the second part of this lesson is very subtle and is easily missed by the casual reader. Jesus' interaction with the fig tree has a far deeper meaning than that which appears on the surface.

The fig tree, in this lesson, represents the Jewish race. By cursing it, killing it, and barring it from ever again bearing fruit, Jesus symbolized that His coming would take away the chosen status of the Jewish race, and would disallow them from ever again holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

In the last part of the lesson, when the Apostles were amazed at how quickly the tree had died, Jesus assured them, as well as all of us, of the awesome power that will be granted to those who place all their faith in Him.

NOTE: The vast majority of "Christians" believe that we are to defend the Jewish people at all costs because they are, and always have been, the "chosen" people of God. That belief, as the New Testament clearly demonstrates, is unfounded.

As these lessons continue, there will be much further discussion of how Jesus took away the "chosen" status from the Jewish race and gave it to His Church which would include the Gentiles.

"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Matt. 3:9-10)~

Lesson 831

(Lesson 831)(12-05-13) Today's lesson if from Matthew 21:12-13;

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there"

Today's lesson is very appropriate to this "Christmas" season. Jesus, when he entered the temple of God, and saw it being used as something similar to one of today's Wal-Mart stores, He turned over the tables whereat the men were operating their businesses and He threw out the money merchants and those operating retail shops.

Now the temple is gone but, again this year, many "Christians" will willingly, and probably unknowingly, defile the very name of Jesus Christ by attaching it to a season that has virtually lost its original meaning. A season that has very little, or nothing to do with actually celebrating the birth of our Savior, and instead just as the operations inside the temple, has everything to do with vanity, avarice, and greed.
There will be a time when Jesus returns to this earth to re-establish His kingdom, and Just as He did in the temple, He will cull out those who abuse and defile His holy name from those who truly adore and worship Him. When, and only when that happens, will His honor and glory be restored.

"Even though Lord Jesus, come soon."~

Lesson 830

(Lesson 830)(12-04-13) Today's lesson is from Matthew 21:1-11;

"And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

This lesson describes Jesus' grand entrance into Jerusalem. There is nothing I can add to this lesson that would make it any clearer that it is written in the quote.

This blessed event fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 62:10-12, "Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken."~

Lesson 829

(Lesson 829)(12-03-13) Our next lesson comes from Matthew 20:29-34;

"And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him."

This lesson is another example of the loving compassion of Jesus Christ and further demonstrates His divine healing power.

We should take note of how Jesus responded to those two blind men as well as to the crowd that followed him. Even though the crowd scolded the blind men and tried to usher Jesus away from them, He turned aside and took the time to help them.

In today's societal rush, it is very easy for us to miss, or simply ignore, the muted sound of those who are weak and in need. We should always react just as Jesus did in the above example, we should ignore the noise of the crowd always listen carefully for the cries of the weak. We should always turn aside and do all we can to ease the suffering of the lost, no matter what the circumstance.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," " Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:1-4,8,13)~

Lesson 828

(Lesson 828)(12-02-13) Today's lesson comes from Matthew 20:20-28;

"Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

There are two different lessons within today's quote. The first demonstrates how the desire for influence and power affected even the mother of two of Jesus' Apostles.

By asking for the choice seats at the throne of Jesus, the mother of James and John was trying to position her sons above all others.

Jesus, in essence, then asked James and John if they were willing, as He was, to undergo an agonizing death, burial and resurrection with Him. When they agreed that they would, Jesus assured them they would eventually suffer because of their devotion to Him, and that they would indeed be with Him in Heaven. Jesus also told them that there would be no positions of power in His Church, the strongest are to always work for, and serve the weak. He then told them that only God the Father could assign positions at the throne.

The second lesson that is to be taken from today's quote concerns the two times Jesus used a form of the term "baptize and how those terms are defined, and what they mean within this context.

Today, almost every time anyone mentions either baptize, baptizes, baptized, baptizing, or baptism, it is automatically assumed that the usage, in some way, references the use of water.

As is very plainly demonstrated in today's lesson, when Jesus used that term, He was referring to the taking on of a cause or specific action, in this instance, Jesus was referring to His upcoming sacrificial ordeal. The use of water was not, in any manner, implied in what Jesus said herein.

The knowledge as to how Jesus applied the term "baptize", throughout His ministry, is very important to today's discussion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is because far too many erroneously teach that in order to receive eternal life, one must be "baptized" in water when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

As these lessons continue, there will be much more in depth discussion of what the term baptism means to us in each of its applications within the New Testament.~